CradleCore®

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The circular generation of sandwich panels

The earth has a finite supply of raw materials. So we have to use the resources we do have carefully and responsibly. Although sustainability is in our DNA, the basic raw materials used in sandwich panels are not renewable.

In recent years, FALK has made significant investments in making its sandwich panels circular – and the results are impressive! In 2020 we launched CradleCore®, making the world’s first circular sandwich panel a reality.

CradleCore®, the same sandwich panel, but with the guarantee that we will recycle it at the end of its life cycle. This reduces the environmental impact by around 40% compared to standard sandwich panels. CradleCore® is available on request for all our sandwich panels.

Developing a circular generation of sandwich panels

Since 2007, we have been working hard every day to manufacture and supply sandwich panels. With an annual production capacity of more than five million square metres, we have a responsibility to do our bit for the environment. A challenge we are facing head on!

In recent years, we have devoted a lot of time and effort into making PIR recyclable – and those efforts have paid off, with the development of a number of unique solutions. We are able to extract the basic raw materials from existing sandwich panels, which means that the steel can be reused in the production chain and we can reuse the PIR in an insulation core.

This is how we make our CradleCore® panels, which have a significantly lower impact on the environment than conventional sandwich panels. CradleCore® therefore contributes to the construction of buildings with the highest sustainability ambitions.

If you want a building with a very low environmental impact, we always recommend using FALK panels. They have a very low impact on the environment and therefore contribute to our customers’ sustainability ambitions.
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Tom Linneman
Owner Linneman Bouw en Advies

See how we make it happen

CradleCore®, how does it work in practice?

Sandwich panels with CradleCore® insulation core are produced at our site in Ede and consist of two steel sheets with a PIR insulation core sandwiched between them – just like our ‘regular’ panels. The panel’s insulating, fire-resistant and aesthetic properties are also the same. The main difference in terms of sustainability is the take-back guarantee offered to the end user, which gives them the right to return the CradleCore® sandwich panels for reuse or recycling.

Returned sandwich panels and sawing debris from the construction site are sent to our sister company InSus in Duiven. There, the panels are broken down, resulting in various valuable streams of raw materials.

Coming full circle with CradleCore®

The introduction of our circular sandwich panel marked the end of an era in which the valuable raw materials in sandwich panels were incinerated at the end of their life cycle. Sandwich panels featuring a CradleCore® insulation core are now recycled at the end of their life cycle by our sister company InSus in Duiven.

Besides the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your FALK panels with circular CradleCore® insulation cores will be recycled, there are also a number of financial benefits. For example, our CradleCore® panels have an extremely low shadow price, which helps reduce the environmental impact of your building. Our FALK 1060 WB with CradleCore® insulation core reduces the environmental impact by over 38% compared to conventional sandwich panels. This opens the door to a very favourable environmental performance of a building (MPG; MilieuPrestatie Gebouwen) and puts building owners in a good position to qualify for MIA\Vamil G6100 or D6101 subsidies, for example. The low shadow price also ensures that you build in accordance with BREEAM and LEED guidelines and score extra points on this.

FALK panels with CradleCore® insulation core come with a take-back guarantee as standard. This means that the panel is completely circular and all the raw materials used can be reused – so valuable raw materials are also available for future generations.

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